Cooking and Chef Recipes

Chef Jared Gross of Urban Tide at the Hyatt Regency Orlando demonstrates how to prepare the Salmon Pastrami that he features at that terrific seafood restaurant. The recipe is below, so take a look at the video then gather the ingredients and give it whirl.

This week’s Compliments of the Chef is the result of a reader request from Jim Heekin regarding a favorite side dish featured at the now-closed Txokos Basque Kitchen at East End Market before original owners Henry and Michele Salgado sold it to focus on their Spanish River Grille restaurant in New Smyrna Beach:

Wrote Jim: “When the Salgados left Txokos, the restaurant stopped serving the fabulous Fabada bean side dish. Any chance that Henry would share with you his recipe for that terrific dish? He isn't serving it at Spanish River Grille.”

Well, Jim, I have two bits of good news for you. First, yes, the Salgados were more than happy to share the recipe, which you’ll find below.

Second, the fabada bean dish is indeed being served at Spanish River Grille, accompanying one of the fresh fish dishes, such as bronzini, a current offering, or the Crispy Skin Snapper, as seen in the photo from SRG above. So you can visit and still get a taste of how it’s done.

Bootlegger is a signature cocktail at Art Smith's Homecoming restaurant at Disney Springs. It was inspired by the homemade blackberry jam that Smith’s mother used to make and has a wink to Florida moonshine and rum. Watch the video of one of Homecoming’s bartenders mixing the drink. Check out the recipe and give it a try.

If you want to try it at the restaurant, consider a visit during the Fifth Annual Great Irish Hooley, which will take place September 2 through 5. Besides all the usual music and dancing that you can find at Raglan Road, the Hooley features a 90 minutes show — The Rhythms of Raglan — produced in Ireland, exported to Raglan Road and directed by David Hayes (Riverdance, “The Voice” Ireland edition) with guest choreographers including Michael Donellan (Lord of the Dance). The music festival’s multi-band lineup will feature headliner Screaming Orphans and other bands popular on the festival circuit. For details, times and more information, visit the Raglan Road website.

But now back to that recipe! And check out the video below to see how Dundon does it.

Since it opened at Epcot's Italy pavilion, Via Napoli has been earning raves for its Neapolitan style pizza. Executive chef Charlie Restivo shows you how to make the same pizza dough and get similar results, even if you don't have an 800-degree wood-burning oven imported from Italy in your kitchen.

Watch the video, then follow the recipe. Tell us how things turned out in the comments below.

Kevin Fonzo, chef and owner of K Restaurant in College Park, has a great way to use the bounty of summer vegetables: succotash. He uses it as a platform for sauteed Florida fish, such as snapper, and tops it all with delicious herb butter. See the video above for instructions from the chef. The recipes follow: